2003 Menghai "Jiaji" Tuocha

Where would I be without the generosity of teachum from Singapore, Keng?

Significantly thirstier, I suspect.

The "tiangan" [heaven stems] is an ancient scheme for counting - for example, animal years.  The first to fourth are, respectively, jiaji, yiji, bingji, and dingji.  Therefore, this tuocha is supposedly rather good.

At the time of writing, it is a sunny late afternoon on Sunday.  Having completed today's household tasks, I sit down to a rare afternoon tea-session, with the all-important blessing of my dear wife.  I've hinted that life has been somewhat crazed and bizarre of late, with me undergoing various interviews - and this process is still dragging on.  Hence, drinking tea is becoming a real luxury, and one that I intend to enjoy to its full.

 

Unlike lower grades of tuocha from Menghai and Xiaguan, you may see from the photographs that the leaves in this little fellow are longer and more whole than we might otherwise expect.  After drinking all manner of weird and wonderful samples lately (more on which later), I revert to the hardcore, reliable pleasures of Good Old Menghai.

The leaves have darkened, and have a crisp, woody aroma.  The storage of wheverever it is that Keng is buying all this lovely tea really is top notch.  I remain hopeful that the UK will be equally kind to our tea.

It is a mighty tuocha, much larger than the usual variety.  The dusky orange soup that you may see above is already heading towards redness, and has a heavy, tar-like, sweet aroma.

In the mouth, it is woody, wonderfully sharp, clean, and particularly mouth-watering.  My skin tingles as the tea pushes its way through my physiology.  It causes the blood vessels in my mouth to pulsate noticeably.

Three cheers for Keng - a delicious tea that is aging extremely well.  I am certainly hoping to buy some of these.